Bypassing of protective devices
a need for action by standard-
ization bodies?
During plant visits, occupational health
and safety experts frequently observe po-
sition switches on safety doors which
have been bypassed, resulting in machi-
nery being operated in an improper con-
dition. Bypassing of this kind has repeat-
edly led to serious accidents, some of
which sadly have been fatal. Generally,
the party which bypassed the function is
considered responsible. In the view of
many OH&S experts, however, this defini-
tion of responsibility does not go far
enough.
Normally, a machine deactivates hazard-
ous areas when a safety door the position
of which is monitored is opened. Should the
position monitoring facility be bypassed, the
door can be opened without the fact being
registered by the control system. It is of
course prohibited for protective devices to
be rendered inoperative. The responsible
parties in the plants and the manufacturers
should nevertheless give greater conside-
ration to the underlying reasons why pro-
tective devices are bypassed in the first
place.
The reasons for bypassing may lie in the
design of the machine itself. Possible rea-
sons include a poor view of the process,
malfunctions leading to repeated interrup-
tion of production, and excessive delays
before operation can be resumed. In some
cases, operating modes are not provided
which are necessary for the completion of
certain work required on the machine.
Other factors may also be at work: switches
may be freely accessible and easily removed,
even at critical points. In addition, employ-
ees may not have been adequately informed
of possible risks, and bypassing may be tol-
erated in the plant. Reckless use of substi-
tute actuators for bypassing, whether fab-
ricated by those concerned or obtained
commercially, has also become a wide-
spread but incorrect practice.
In the light of this situation, KAN was ask-
ed by the institution for statutory accident
insurance and prevention in the mechanical
engineering and metalworking industry to
gather and summarize opinion on the issue
and to propose solutions within standards
projects. A working group convened by KAN
has drawn up recommendations for stand-
ardization activity and OH&S research. KAN
considers the most important step towards
the avoidance of bypassing to be the appli-
cation of user-oriented and ergonomic con-
cepts for equipment operation and protec-
tion, beginning at the design stage; such
concepts should leave no incentive for by-
passing in later operation. OH&S institutions
have a valuable role to play in the drawing
up of balanced concepts in conjunction with SPECIAL
manufacturers and operators.
A+A 2003
Following this stage, technical solutions
must be found by which bypassing can be
made more difficult. The working group has
therefore recommended that standard ISO
14119/EN 1088, interlocking devices as-
sociated with guards, be adapted. This ge-
neric, type B standard is intended to offer
a range of solutions, including for location
of the switches, which can be selected for
the machinery-specific standards. This
would enable an appropriate level of pro-
tection to be laid down in consideration of
the machine and situation concerned. The
technical solutions are largely contained in
Section 5.7 of the existing version of the
standard, concerning arrangements for the
reduction of scope for bypassing (such as
shrouded installation of the switches); the
structure should however be improved to
facilitate referencing, as the reference to
ISO 14119/EN 1088 contained in many
type C standards in the past is too general.
Bypassing safety
In its plenary session held at the beginning
of October 2003, the responsible ISO/TC devices: getting to
199, Safety of machinery, accepted the the root of the evil
German petition for an amendment to Sec-
tion 5.7 of the standard, to be drafted on
the basis of the proposals drawn up by KAN.
Although the responsibility shared by ope-
rators should not be diminished, it is crucial
that the guidelines contained in the generic Werner Sterk
standards describing the means by which Tel. + 49 2241-231- 3460
bypassing is to be avoided and made more sterk@kan.de
difficult are also observed by designers.
One aspect of this is that the latter must in-
clude reasonably foreseeable misuse in
their risk assessment in addition to intend-
ed use1. All work to be performed on the
machine by an operator must also be pos-
sible with the observance of an appropriate
safety level. With regard to standardiza-
tion, this means that the existing type C
standards must be reviewed and if neces-
sary improved in consideration of practical
application with regard to their concepts for
protection and operation and the technical
measures contained within them for the
prevention of bypassing.
Werner Sterk, paper delivered at the A+A
Congress 2003: Safe machinery
1
See KANBRIEF 2/01, p.12
KANBRIEF 9
NR 4/03